Who Doesn't LOVE Guacamole?

Guacamole is an easy, healthy way to brighten up a dish or pair with your favorite veggie! We love guacamole at my house.  As infants, my kids would eat it with a spoon. Haha!

As long as you skip the chips, guacamole is very healthy! We love to use it as a dip for our veggies, a topping for tacos and taco salad, as well as a spread for sandwiches and wraps. 

So versatile and easy to make, so pass on the store bought stuff because fresh guacamole will knock your socks off!

Ingredients:

4 ripe avocados, chopped

2 limes

1 lemon

1/4 medium red onion, finely chopped

3 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl combine avocado, onion, tomato, garlic and cilantro. 

Add the juice of the limes and lemon. Mix well. 

Add salt and pepper to taste.

***This recipe makes A LOT, so share with friends or portion it into resealable bags to eat over a couple days!***

Enjoy! :)

Insanity Max:30 Progress Day 18

This program is no joke.  I have done T25 and Insanity, but this really does take you to a whole new level.  And I love it! 

However, it is not easy.  These workouts are HARD, and it takes extra motivation to not only complete the workout but to really give it my ALL every time.  Isn't that what I should have been doing all along anyway? Yay, but this program is designed to track your time and actually see your progression. That is KEY for my motivation.  Without keeping track of my time, I know I would have given up too early during some of these workouts. I am competitive, but this program forces me to compete with myself everyday. It is so emotionally satisfying to know that I gave each workout my absolute best!

To motivate myself, before each workout I check my calendar that is provided with the program (thanks Beachbody!).  I look at which workout I am doing that day, and what my Max Out time was the last time I did that particular workout.  Then I challenge myself to go at least 2 minutes longer than I did the last time.  It is so empowering! I feel like I can conquer the world after I complete my workout...well maybe after the soreness fades. Haha!

Thankfully there are lots of way to measure your progress during a workout program because the scale has NOT moved at all! 18 days in and my weight is the same. HOWEVER, I feel so much better, healthier, stronger, and there are lots of inches lost. Waist, hips, arms and thighs all lost inches. I didn't measure my calves at the beginning, but I wish I had because my super cute, tall boots fit much easier (which anyone else with large calves will understand how AMAZING that is!).

This program is all about MENTAL strength.  Pushing yourself in every workout, sticking to the nutrition guide, and I am definitely up to the challenge. Stay tuned because I plan to have amazing results by Day 60! ;)

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Although the weather here in FL isn't as cold as it is in other parts, I still love a warm, hearty soup in the winter.  It's comfort food! Skip the cream based soups because it will be spring break and swimsuit season before you know it! Haha! This pumpkin soup is delicious, creamy, flavorful and healthy! (Did I mention it's easy?)

Give it a try and tell me what you think! :)

Ingredients:

2 pound pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
About 8 cups chicken broth, homemade or low sodium (this is approximate, may need more or less, depending on how thick/thin you like your soup)
1 TBSP olive oil or coconut oil
1 tsp ground thyme
2 TBSP cumin
sea salt and pepper to taste

Optional toppings:
paprika
goat cheese
sunflower seeds or pepitas


In a large stock pot over medium heat add olive oil, carrots, celery, and onion. Saute for a few minutes until slightly tender.  Add pumpkin.  Add chicken broth (homemade is best because it will add the most flavor to your soup) until mixture is just covered.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Let it cool slightly then blend with an immersion blender or in batches in a food processor.  Pour back into the pot and heat and serve. Don't forget to add your favorite toppings or it's delicious by itself!

*My kids love it too! Especially with crackers or a grilled sandwich to dip in it. :) It's a soup the whole family will love!

Enjoy!

WHY I Became a Coach

I was laying bed one night, and it hit me...I should be a Beachbody Coach. I could inspire others with my stunning good looks! I have it all together, I think I'll be a coach!  Sounds glamorous, and a little over confident, doesn't it?

That's not how it happened at all! In fact, my story is quite the opposite. My story is a little less glamorous but very real.

I will start at the beginning. My family had just moved to a new state, I didn't really have any friends, I had a preschooler (who was no longer in preschool because all the schools were full when we moved) and a baby.  My husband was on a long business trip and he was only able to visit us on some weekends over a couple months.  I was literally, single handedly, getting my family settled and adjusted to a new house, new city, and new people. Oh, and I am painfully shy.  SO, that didn't help much.

I was feeling very stressed, tired and lonely. It was exhausting.  I am an emotional eater.  I had lost some of the baby weight prior to our move, but after only a couple months I had gained it all back and more. I thought we were eating healthy, because we were eating homemade.  Cooking delicious comfort foods became some I did daily. And it showed.  I made my stressed, tired, lonely self, even worse off because I gained so much weight and my already low self esteem took another blow.

I was cranky, sad, and just all around unhappy with myself.  This affected everything! I had less patience with my kids, I was picking fights with my husband and I was so unhappy with myself.

Everything felt out of control and I was desperate to get it back.  I decided I would start by losing the weight.  I knew someone that is Beachbody Coach and she kept posting on Facebook about 21 Day Fix.  It sounded like just what I needed.  I also learned that coaches get a discount, and well, I'm cheap, so I signed up to coach, got my 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack and I was ready to start fresh! (See, I told you it was glamorous ;) I knew this would be really hard, to make all these changes to my eating and habits, so I decided to tell people I became a Beachbody Coach.  In addition to the accountability of my coach, and Challenge Group, I started telling everyone I know that I became a Beachbody Coach! I found a friend to do it with me and we were off to conquer our goals!

This is how I started. I had no intentions of building a business or helping anyone but me, BUT after those 21 days something changed.  I got my life back, I started losing weight, I felt in control of my choices.  I was HAPPY! Hidden beneath all the shyness and loneliness and weight, was the girl I used to be.  The happy-go-lucky, goody-two-shoes, positive thinking to a fault --> girl that I was before.  I got my smile back.   :)

I was so happy with my results and my confidence boost, that I decided I needed to share this opportunity with everyone because even if I only helped one other person, it would be worth it! Becoming a Beachbody Coach has been one of best decisions I have made in my life. I couldn't be happier!

Coach Opportunity 101 LIVE Event

I am so excited for this Wednesday!

This Wednesday January 21 is our Coach Opportunity 101 LIVE Event!

It's a Facebook Event, starting at 8pm CST, where we will be sharing what we do and how you can do it too!

If you are curious about what I do, how to earn some 

extra $$$, travel, get healthy or how to help others...this is the event for you!

There is no obligation, just info!

Can't make it at that time...no worries! We will leave the event open so you can go back at your convenience and read through the info!

I also have a special GIFT for the first person to sign up with me from this Event!!!(I love giving gifts!)

This is a Facebook Event, so if you would like to come to the Event send me a message on Facebook!

www.facebook.com/kayla.gossett.1

Have a Happy, Healthy Day!

Sweet Potato Chicken Taco

My favorite recipes are the ones that don't really need a recipe.  The kind you can easily throw together, give your own spin and it's still delicious and healthy! Delicious is key!

Tonight's dinner did not disappoint!

Ingredients:

2-4 chicken breasts
1 jar of your favorite salsa
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 medium sweet potatoes
chili powder

Optional toppings:
cilantro
Greek yogurt/sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped green onion

Step 1: Place chicken, salsa, corn, and black beans ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on low 6-8 hours

Step 2: Shred chicken using a fork.

Step 3: Poke sweet potatoes with a fork and microwave 4-8 minutes, until they are fork tender

Step 4: Slice sweet potato in half lengthwise, sprinkle with chili powder, top with chicken mixture, and add any additional toppings.

Enjoy!

I had so much FUN over the holidays AND I am excited that everyone is dedicated to getting HEALTHY in 2015...

from one holiday to the next--> here comes VALENTINES Day!

{{ BREAK UP with your SWEET TOOTH starting January 24th and ending in time for Valentine's Day! }}

Our group is going to focus on NUTRITION--

Starting with the 3-day Refresh to break the cycle of bad eating and get a jumpstart on healthy weight loss; 21 days of removing refined sugars from our diets, drinking Shakeology once a day to curb those GNARLY sweet tooth cravings (hey...breaking up is hard to do!) and start planning how to stay on track with your Nutrition Plan after you indulge -just a little- on Valentine's Day!

I want you to join us in BREAKING UP with your SWEET TOOTH!

Here's few tips to help you reach your goals:
✓ Ask a friend to join you! Hold each other accountable!
✓ Ask your significant other to join you for the challenge! Jason will be joining in with me and fit couples ROCK!
✓ Deadline to save your spot is Sunday January 18th!

Comment or message me (www.facebook.com.kayla.gossett.1) to save your spot!

The One Thing I Thought I Couldn't Live Without...

I think that most of the people in the good ole US of A can fall into one of two categories:

1) Ranch
2) and everything else

Am I the only Ranch dressing lover? 

I don't think so. I might like it more than others, but I think most people enjoy it...  I love it.  

I love it on salad.  
I love it on veggies. 
I love ranch with chicken fingers, nuggets and wings. 
I love it in buffalo dip. 
I love ranch dressing mix on potatoes.
I love to dip fries in it.
I could go on...

Needless to say, when I started this healthy journey and I took a good look at the label on my ranch dressing bottle...I was sad.  There is nothing good about it. Nope. Not a thing. Of course there are brands that use real ingredients, but that's not what was in my hand.  I wanted to eat salads because salads are easy, versatile, and can be prepared ahead of time...but I was ruining my healthy meal by covering it with ranch.  I also had no intention of measuring out just 2 tablespoons of my favorite dip, so I think we can agree I had a problem. 

But I didn't want to cut ranch out of my life, or my fridge, so I temporarily replaced it with healthier options, but it wasn't the same.  I pressed on. Life goes on even when you aren't eating ranch.  

I started reaching some of my goals. I was losing weight, feeling better about myself, inside and out, but I was still clinging to that ranch. 

"I will just have it in moderation."
"Veggies taste good with only a little."

I was hanging on to Ranch as a crutch! Now, I can look back and see how ridiculous that was, but I just wasn't ready to let go of this comfort food.  But the day I decided it was time to part ways, I dropped it in the trash and I didn't look back!

I still have ranch dressing once in a while with a cheat meal, but I am no longer smothering my food with it. I tried lots of healthy dressings for my salads, because I still love salads (side note: salad is code for "I opened the fridge, found some healthy stuff and put it on top of some spinach leaves"), and eventually I found one that I love just as much as ranch. Balsamic vinegar.  Not the vinegarette, just balsamic vinegar.  Someone told me a long time ago it could be used as a salad dressing and I LAUGHED! Oh hindsight, you are so smart. It's simple, easy, flavorful and cheap. I am no longer a slave to ranch dressing!

This change didn't happen over night.  It took me months of trying alternatives and ignoring the ranch that called to me from the fridge. Eventually I found the "one" that I loved just as much, but doesn't compromise my health.  Healthy eating is a process. I had several vices that I just couldn't let go of. I clung to them.  But I still made other steps.  Even though I wasn't ready to let go ranch, I made other changes to my eating. When I was ready I tackled the tough one.  :)

Everyone has that "ranch" in their life. What's yours?

Insanity Max:30 Progress!

I shared this picture on my Facebook yesterday.  (insert blushed faced emoticon)

Of course I shared my thoughts to go with it on my Facebook post! I talked about how I wasn't discouraged by the lack of visible changes because it's only Day 8.  I wasn't expecting results over night. 

OPEN MOUTH. INSERT FOOT.

A friend commented that she could see changes in my stomach and booty.  So....I looked at it on the computer.  Oh.  My.  Word.  She was right! I could see BIG changes in my stomach and my booty looked great! 

So, let me explain why I didn't "see" the changes until someone pointed them out.  

First, the scale has not moved.  At all.  Not even a little.  My clothes feel mostly the same.  

Second, I looked at them on my phone.  Little pictures.  I looked at them with the mindset that they would look the same because the scale was the same.  

Boy, was I wrong.  I was also perfectly content with NOT seeing any changes because I knew it had only been a week AND I felt so good.  Getting back on track with eating healthy, has made such a huge difference.  I FEEL so much better.  I have more energy.  I don't feel sluggish and weighed down.  I didn't need to see changes in my pictures to already feel good about the progress I was making.  Feeling healthier is so powerful!

That being said, I am THRILLED at the visual changes and now I am even more excited to see where this program can take me.  

Shakeology+Clean Eating+Exercise+Accountability= RESULTS!

Being Healthy is About What You GAIN!

Saturday night I was so excited I could barely sleep!

Too much adrenaline, excitement and inspiration after the Super Saturday Event in Tampa!

In the wee hours of the night when I was laying awake in bed, I couldn't stop thinking about the heart of this company.

Yes this company sells fitness programs and nutritional shakes, but there is a much BIGGER message they are trying to send: YOU can do it!

You can be healthy!
You can be in control of your life!
You can be more confident!
You can help others!
You can build your mind and self esteem!

There were 2 women that spoke about their healthy journey's at Super Saturday. The one that stuck out in my mind was not the woman that lost 100 pounds.  Although her journey is amazing and inspriational! Losing 100 pounds is an outstanding accomplishment and I cried tears of joy for her as she shared her story.  The woman that stuck out in my mind, that I couldn't stop thinking about, was the one who lost only 15 pounds.  Her story was not about loss, but about what she gained.  She wasn't on a huge trek to lose a ton of weight. She was broken.  She had tragedy in her life and it consumed her and controlled her.  She felt like she was not living life, but that life was just happening to her. She was searching for something:

Something to hold on to.
Something to help her regain her footing.
Something she could control.
Something to help her find the woman she was before the tragedy consumed her.

She had 2 little kids that needed her to figure it out and stop the downward spiral.  She knew that when she looked in the mirror she didn't like the person she had become.  She didn't have a ton of weight to lose, but she knew she needed to be healthier.  Drinking and stress eating were big pieces of her downward spiral.  She was  headed down a path of destruction and she wanted to turn back.

She saw her opportunity to gain some form of control in her life through Beachbody.  She started with a Challenge Group, lost some weight and more importantly she gained glimpses of the woman she once was.  She found a piece of the woman she used to be.  She found that she is in control of her eating and fitness.  She found something to hold on to when it felt like the rest of life was out of her grasp.  The best part is that she found she wasn't alone.  The support of a coach and Challenge Group goes far beyond fitness.  It's about helping, being there, encouragement and knowing that you ALWAYS have someone in your corner.

That is what Beachbody is all about.  Lots of companies sell fitness programs, but no one else offers the support to help you through it. That is the missing piece for so many people, including me! I never believed I could do it. Without support from my coach and Challenge Group I NEVER would have finished a program and discovered my own potential!

I love that the heart of Beachbody is not exercise (although it's important), it's about people.

Truly helping people.

A Story of Stress and Will Power

I could have made so many excuses why I should NOT start my new program, Insanity MAX:30 or Challenge Group this week! So many reasons! 

*we are just getting back into our routine

*my daughter's birthday will include dessert, and probably a carb filled dinner, since those are her favorites

*my husband was going to do the program with me but injured his knee and was given doctors orders to rest it for 6 weeks

*I'm tired, so very tired

Truth BOMB #1: There is NEVER a good time to start! NEVER! 

Life will continue happening whether you are on a healthy journey or not, so if you keep putting off  your start date, you will never start.

So, I took my own advice and I started on Monday, despite my life getting in the way.

Truth BOMB #2: Once you start don't quit because one thing derails you! Get back on it!

In addition to the list of excuses I already knew about, there was a sudden health issue that came up with my Dad.  Something we thought was under control and on the mend, suddenly took a turn for the worst and he had to have surgery right away. Like, clear the OR tomorrow...he needs this now. This is incredibly stressful for a daughter that LOVES her Daddy and is too far away to be there when he needed me.  I had to rely on phone updates, instead of being there in the waiting room. That is hard. It's so hard. It took every ounce of my self control to not call every 10 minutes or text for updates.  I had to trust that my stepmom would call when she had news (which she did!), but it's so hard to wait.  

Using all my self-control to stay away from my phone made my other weakness even weaker...stress eating.  All I wanted was the comfort of stuffing my face with anything I could find in the pantry.  Thankfully I had already cleaned out the pantry before starting on Monday, so I would have really had to dig to find something.  I kept walking into the kitchen and then talking myself out of eating something, because I wasn't hungry.  I knew that. I knew I was only going to eat because I was stressed out.  I also knew that if I gave in, I would immediately feel guilty. I have goals to reach and this wasn't going to get me there.

I decided to redirect.  I got on my knees and I prayed. I prayed a lot. For my dad mostly, but also for my will power. When I got a chance to talk to my Dad I wanted to be happy and positive, not feeling guilty and down on myself, because it wasn't about me. It was about him. I had not done my workout yet, so I popped Sweat Intervals in and decided to really give it my all.  

It worked! Not only did I get my very best Insanity MAX:30 time, but I felt so much better knowing that I had done something positive during that stressful time.  It's not glamorous, but here I am all sweaty  and hair a mess after my workout...

I was able to talk to my Dad for a just a couple minutes later on after his surgery.  He is doing well and will hopefully be going home soon. 

The moral of this story is: it's not about perfect timing or doing it perfectly, it's about STAYING THE COURSE. It's about starting this journey even when it's imperfect, and learning as you go to do it better. 9 months ago I would have never had the will power or self-control to start unless the timing was perfect. 9 months ago I would never have had the will power or self-control to close the pantry door and work out instead.  But through many, MANY failures I have learned that this is what will get me to my goals; this is what will make me happy.  :) 

I should note: my will power does not always win. But more on that later. Today I want to focus on this success, because it took everything I had to do it and I am proud of my progress.

HOW I Got My Smile Back: Day 1 of my NEXT Step

Today is Day 1.  I am excited, nervous, but mostly I am ready to challenge myself in new ways!

Today marks the next FIRST DAY of a new program, and new challenge group and a NEW me!

I started on my healthy journey in March of 2014.  I started with 21 Day Fix, Shakeology and a Challenge Group for support and accountability. I spent 3 weeks creating new healthy habits and LOVED the results.  Sure, I lost 8 lbs, which is pretty awesome, but more importantly I felt better, healthier, more confident, and had more energy.  I started down the healthy path and I haven't looked back.  I've changed up the exercise, T25, PiYo, 5K training, but I have stayed the course.  That doesn't mean that I eat perfectly every day or that I never miss a workout. It simply means that this is my new NORM.  Eating healthy, exercising and taking care of myself are my normal. Of course I have a cheat meal every week! I am human! I love cheeseburgers and chocolate and cake, but I don't eat them everyday because that would not get me to my goals.

Through this blog I want to share with you:

How I got here to my new normal and how YOU can get here too.

How I got to the point where every time I looked in the mirror I wasn't disgusted with the person staring back at me.

How I found my passion, and my happy place.

How I Got My Smile Back.

Follow me or sign up to get an email with new posts! I'll be sharing my meal plans, recipes, tips, tricks, and my progress throughout my healthy journey. :)

You know what blows my mind?

The number of blessings in my life! I am so grateful for each and every one of them.  

Sometimes I get lost in the busyness of life, but it is a goal of mine this year to remember to step back and see the bigger picture.

Sure, I almost lost my mind yesterday with a 4 year old that NEVER. STOPS. TALKING. and a toddler that is teething, BUT my kids and my husband are the biggest blessings in my life, and I don't want to let anything overshadow that.

Another huge blessing in my life...my health and the health of my family.  It is not to be taken for granted.

An even bigger blessing is that I was able to help over 50 people in just a few months: get healthy, build confidence, and see their own potential. Little old me, stay at home mom, extremely shy and quiet me, was able to touch the lives of over 50 people and make a difference! This “job” is way more than exercise. It’s about helping others build confidence and self-esteem, get organized, and see their own beauty and potential from the inside out.

I have MANY goals for 2015, and one of them is to share this Beachbody Coaching opportunity. 

Becoming a Beachbody Coach has helped me in so many ways:

 I    * I am in the best shape of my life.

 I     * I am able to stay at home with my kids, while contributing to the family income.

 I     * I have built my confidence and self-esteem.

 I     * I have found my way of making a difference and leaving a positive footprint in this world.

 I     * I have found my passion for helping others.

***The best part about this opportunity: You don't have to have it all figured out before you start! You can start right where you are!***

If you are looking to make a change for the better in 2015, whether it be to get healthy, financial goals, find your niche, or maybe you are looking for something and you don’t know what it is yet (ßThat was me!), I encourage you to consider this opportunity. I would love to have a conversation with you about becoming a coach!

Comment or message me for more info! (www.facebook.com/kayla.gossett.1)

Happy New Year!